From high school standout to NFL's most prolific passer of interceptions
In short: Blake Bortles's career was a study in extremes. He could lead a historic 21-point comeback for the Jacksonville Jaguars or lead the entire NFL in interceptions. From a record-breaking rookie start to a surprising AFC Championship run, his journey through the NFL was anything but predictable.
Blake Bortles's professional journey began in earnest in 2014 when he was selected third overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars. His rookie season was a whirlwind of statistical anomalies: he set a record for a rookie's first start with a 78.4 percent completion rate, yet he also led the league in sacks taken, totaling 55 for 345 yards lost. This duality of high-ceiling talent and high-risk volatility defined much of his tenure in Jacksonville.
His statistical peak arrived in 2015, a year of massive volume and significant error. He set franchise records for single-season passing yards (4,428), completions (355), and touchdowns (35). However, he also led the NFL in interceptions with 18. This pattern of high-reward, high-risk play continued through his most successful season in 2017. In 2017, Bortles assisted the Jaguars in securing their inaugural division championship and AFC Championship Game berth since 1999, notwithstanding a season of fluctuating yardage totals.
The postseason provided a stark contrast to his regular-season struggles. In the 2017 Wild Card Round against the Buffalo Bills, Bortles joined Michael Vick as the only quarterbacks since the 1970 merger to record more rushing yards than passing yards in a postseason game. While his 75 net passing yards were the lowest for a winning postseason quarterback since Joe Flacco in 2009, he eventually led the team to a Divisional Round victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers before falling to the New England Patriots.
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